[caption id="attachment_3731" align="aligncenter" width="620"] As a connoisseur of budget-friendly carpets (and boots), I've decided that this is my version of that shot that girls always take of their new manicures. You know, the one in which they're clutching the nail polish bottle to show off their glossy new talons .
Five-by-eight foot contemporary wool carpet, $300, HomeSense. Original short rain boots in Navy, $160, Hunter Boots.
Photography by Brett Walther.[/caption]   As far as carpets are concerned, I tend to be pretty traditional in my tastes. Not only are classic Persian area rugs worthy investment pieces, but they're easily woven (if you'll pardon the pun) into virtually any space, largely because they don't scream for attention in a way that a lot of contemporary designs tend to do. And there's certainly nothing subtle about this new release at HomeSense, which is why I'm doubly shocked at how deeply I've fallen for it. Perhaps it's the abundance of dark teal—one of my current colour crushes—in the abstract, almost Jackson Pollock-esque splatter design. Maybe it's the ultra-affordable price point of just $300. Or maybe it's just because my new navy Hunter boots worked so beautifully with its palette. Whatever the case, this statement-making rug was one of my favourite finds at a recent preview showcasing the latest and greatest at HomeSense, and I'm already conjuring up ideas on how I can incorporate it in upcoming editorial features. Stay tuned!   Follow me on Twitter!